1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to traffic control standup delineators or signs, and more particularly to a traffic control reflector having a flexible member capable of restoring the reflector to it vertical attitude after multiple impacts with automobiles.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Brown et al., U.S. Pat. No. D406,543 describes a traffic channelizer design. Bent et al., U.S. Pat. No. D412,131 describes a traffic channelizing system design. Alt, U.S. Pat. No. D419,901 describes a safety marking pylon design. Abrams, U.S. Pat. No. 3,380,428 describes a traffic guide post means comprising a post member and a base member of mutually interfitting relationship. Lyons et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,118 describes a signal device combining a fluorescent or phosphorescent light tube and a weighted base designed to be thrown or dropped from a vehicle as a warning marker. The light tube is preferably of the chemically actuated type and the base preferably has four resilient legs serving to ensure that the device will assume an upright position when dropped. Beard, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,334 describes a traffic marker including an upright cone-shaped member and a base. Two orifices are provided on the upper end of the cone-shaped member and on opposite sides thereof. A bracket is provided having an interior portion and an exterior portion. The bracket is operable to be inserted through the orifice such that the distal end of the interior portion contacts the interior surface of the cone-shaped member at a point. An orifice is disposed in the interior member through which a flag can be inserted. The flag is inserted through the orifice on the opposite side of the cone-shaped member through the orifice to contact the opposite sides of the interior surface of the cone at a point. Thurston, U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,791 describes a stackable road delineator including an upright conical portion with a detachable weighted base. The top conical end has a handle graspable by the fingers of a human hand. Also, this end has a conical hollow interior so that when it is stacked on top of another similar delineator, the handle will freely fit within this hollow interior to thus provide stackable delineators. Kulp et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,673 describes a safety delineator which includes a conical body portion to which is attached one or more vertical panels. A new and improved handle feature permits easy and comfortable full hand gripping of the delineator and also prevents sticking and jamming together of a plurality of the delineators when they are stacked. The delineators may be stacked without removing the vertical panels, since each vertical panel is particularly designed to wrap around the conical body portion to which it is attached as another vertical delineator slides over it. Ahn, U.S. Pat. No. 5,908,262 describes a basally adhered, self-recovering traffic lane delineator having a cylindrical post made of flexible material, having the air outlet and inlet on the center of its upper surface, and a supplementary support panel placed and adhered underneath the post. The support panel supports a lower part of the post and is adhered on the ground. Owing to its small package volume, the delineator is easy to move and safeguard. Bent et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,941 describes a traffic delineator including a cylinder and a base. The base has a hole therethrough to permit the cylinder to be inserted into the base and the base then holds the cylinder down. A grip is formed in the center section of the cylinder to increase ease of carrying the delineator. The cylinder may also include a handle and means for affixing traffic warning lights and flags. The base may include means for holding removable ballast. The cylinder is formed by blow molding. Eberle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,320 describes a free standing display panel with a foldable floor sign including an integrally formed handle portion and male and female hinge projections. The male and female hinge projections snap together into interlocking engagement with each other in response to simultaneous axial compression. The male coupling member includes a resilient finger portion and a latching head, and the female coupling member includes a cylindrical collar having a latch pocket and a radially stepped, inwardly projecting retainer. The resilient finger portion is radially deflectable in response to sliding engagement of the latching head against the retainer to permit the latching head to clear the retainer and enter the latch pocket. The display panels are stabilized in a spread-apart service position by a locking arm that is pivotally coupled to the display panels for folding movement within longitudinal slots formed along side edges of the display panels. Two or more floor signs are linked together by chains to provide a wide area barrier to entry.
The related art described above discloses several traffic control devices. However, the prior art fails to disclose a standup reflector with a flexible section enabling the device to sustain many impacts with passing automobiles while retaining its ability to resume its vertical position. The present disclosure distinguishes over the prior art providing heretofore unknown advantages as described in the following summary.